The new archbishop is in town.

Ronald Hicks is the new archbishop for the Catholic Church in New York. Why does this deserve attention here? Because, although I don’t know all their doctrine, his stated mission sounds spot on. Here’s some of what he said at his installation service:

“Here’s are a few things you should know about me: I love Jesus. I love the Church. And I love people.”

He continued, “This is a call to be a missionary church, not a country club. A club exists to serve its members. The church, on the other hand, exists to go out and serve all people, on fire with faith, hope, and charity in the name of Jesus Christ. This is not a criticism, but an invitation to renew who we are and rediscover why the church exists.”

If the Catholics can get it right, so can the evangelicals. If you are a true follower and believer in Jesus, then we all need to be on mission.

Someone said the greatest sins are not only sins of commission, or sins of omission. They are also sins of no-mission.

Jesus stated His mission statement clearly: “I have come to seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10

If you have no interest in seeing your friends and neighbors know Jesus personally, then you need a spiritual revival. The compassion of Christ moves us towards the lost and searching. Our Christian life is not mainly about us, but about sharing the love of God with others.

Our actions speak louder than our words. When 97% of Christians will never share the plan of salvation with even one unbeliever in their entire lifetime, something is very wrong.

We must pivot from the old mantra of “build it and they will come”. Instead we must actively embrace a new mantra: “equip them and they will go”.

Sharing our faith-story as ambassadors of Jesus must become the new normal, and not the exception. It starts with the leadership, and then flows to the people.

That’s how it worked with me. Most of the years I pastored I was very evangelistic, but mostly inside the church, or at events outside. But I rarely shared my personal faith with unbelievers.

But now that I do, I have discovered one of the hidden gems Jesus left for us all. We get to speak for God as His ambassadors. We get to lead people to Jesus. We get to work with the Spirit!

It’s one of the greatest adventures a believer can have. Don’t hide your faith inside the church, and miss out on it. Rather, let your light shine!